visual impairments. In the article, Milian describes
the labels used with these students and shares
essential elements to guide their instruction.
When addressing the needs of blind and
visually impaired students who are also from
CLDB, it is critical that, as professionals, we work
closely with family members. In our article,
"Connecting with Families from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds: Reflecting as
Practitioners on Our Own Beliefs and Values," my
colleague Kim Zebehazy and I address the importance of including family members in the education of students from CLDB. We discuss the factors that affect family involvement and share a
self-reflection questionnaire that teachers or other
professionals could use to help them gain insight
into a family's values, beliefs, and priorities while
trying to avoid stereotypes.
This series of articles concludes with the results of a study conducted by Paula Conroy on
the post-high school outcomes of students with
visual impairments who are from diverse backgrounds. Conroy interviewed ten CLD students
with visual impairments about their high school
experiences and the skills gained to be successful young adults. In her article, she discusses the
themes that emerged from her interviews and
shares recommendations for the field.
The topic of CLD students and families is
one that I am very interested in and passionate
about. As a second language learner myself, I
identify with many of the needs and challenges
these students experience in the classroom. I
really hope that this DVI-Q issue on diversity provides you with an opportunity to better identify
and understand some of the challenges you may
encounter when working with students with visual
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